A standard food slicer has a base having front and rear ends and provided with at least one guide extending longitudinally therebetween. A carriage is longitudinally displaceable along the guide on the base and formed with a seat adapted to receive the foodstuff piece and with a plurality of longitudinally extending and upwardly open slots at the seat. A plurality of blades extending upward and forward from the rear end of the base are longitudinally aligned with the slots of the carriage. Thus a tomato, for example, to be sliced is dropped onto the carriage which is pushed back toward the blades which cut into it and separate it into slices as they pass through it in the slots.
Such an arrangement works fairly well with fairly stiff but easy-to-cut foodstuffs, such as hard-boiled eggs. When used with something fairly soft or with a somewhat tough skin, such as a ripe tomato, these devices frequently squash the item. Dull blades aggravate this problem.
Another disadvantage of this system is that the cutting edges of the blades are relatively exposed, both during use and when the machine is not being used, presenting a hazard. In addition these blades must be fairly long, so that the likelihood of them bending is considerable.